Automobile.



PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

E. TEMPLE.

AUTOMOBILE. APPLICATION FILED PEB.15, 1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

No. 845,983.l

E. TEMPLE.

AUTOMOBILE. lAPPLIQATION FILED PEB.15.1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f7 hwanlfoz dwafd jemple,

M MQ.

PATENTBD MAR. ,5, 1907.

4 E. TEMPLE.

. AUTOMOBILE. APPLICATION FILED PBB.15, 1906.

5 SHEETS-#SHEET 3.

fluor/nut v E. TEMPLE.

AUTOMOBILE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.15, 1906.

PATBNTED MAR. y5, 1907.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Mfg/M.

Edam@ Strom/wg PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

E. TEMPLE.

. AUTOMOBILE. A'PPLmATIoN FILED P2315, 1906. v

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

i Witnesses ffl/WMM v ing UNITED s'rArEs PATENT GFFICE.

EDWARD TEMPLE, oE sPRiNdEiELD, onto, AssIGNoR or ONE-HALE To HARRY Gf REDMOND, OF REDMONDS MILLS,

UTIVIOBPLE.

Specifioationof Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907,

l Application filed February 15,1906. Serial No. 301,125.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD TEMPLE', a citizen of the United States, f residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, vhave invented certain new and rseful Improvementsin Automobiles, ofwhich the following is a specification, lreference behad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to automobiles, and

has for its object, among other things, to pros vide a const-ructicn` whereby an ordinary light road -vehicle of the type generally known as a buggy or Hroad-wagon may y the seat and hood removed, ofa structure be -readily converted into a self-propelling vehicle or automobile. Y

Further objects of the invention are to provide a simple and efficient steering mechanism, to provide means whereby thespeed and direction of'movement of the vehicle may be readily controlled ina simple and elicient' manner, and to provide improved means for transmitting power to the drivingwheels while providing for relative freedom of motion of said wheels to compensate for curves.'

To these and other ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which T will nowl proceed to describe and will then particularly point out in the claims.

In the accompanying drav'vings, Figure 1 is a planview, partly broken away and with embodying my invention in one form. Fig.

2 is a 'side elevationof the same, part-ly broken away, to showf certain details `of construction. Fig. 3 is'an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line :e of Fig.- 1

` and looking in the direction oithe arrows.

Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the driving connection between the main driving-shaft and one of the drivinglwheels. Fig. 5 is a` Adetail view-ot` one of the clutches with the .cap removed, the main driving-shaft being shown in section. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the linei'y y of Fig. Qiand looking in the direction'of the arrows. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional'view taken in a longitudinal vertical lane through the front portion of the vehic e, illustrating the section taken on a line corresponding to the vmotor to the desired level.

the steering-segment. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view taken on the line w w of Fig. 7

and looking in the direction of the arrows,

and Fig. 410 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken in a vertical plane centrally and longitudinally through the friction-gearing.

` inthe said drawings I have shown my invention as embodied in a structure of which `the basis is a light road-vehicle known as a .of the vehicleas modified, anda front axle 8,

pivoted to turn for steering purposes by means of a pivot or iitth wheell 9 and having mounted to rotate thereon the front wheels 10, which constitute the steering-wheels. All of these parts may be oi any approved construction. I

To the body there is connected a strengthening and supporting frame consisting of an angle bar or bars 11, bent or arranged so as to form two lparallel portions embracing or iitting the lower side edges of the body, being secured thereto in any suit able manner.- This frame extends in iront of the body to support the motor and its associated parts, said .extension being indicated at 12 and being preferably somewhat depressed to bring the A hood 13 (shown in position in Fig. 2of the drawings and removedin Fig. 1.) serves to covcr and protect the motor.

Any suitable type of motor may bc employed, the form shown (indicated bythe reference-numeral 14) consisting of a gasolenemotor of the opposed two-cylinder two-cycle type. This motor is sul'iported on the frame eXtension12, with its main shaft arranged longitudinally of the vehicle, the ily-wheel being indicated at 16. The liquid fuel is supplied to the motor from a reservoir 17, located under the body 1, at the front thereof, andconnected with the motor by a supplypipe 18. Suit able lubricators 19,. mounted on tl`e inner side of the dash 3, where they are readily accessible and plainlyvisible, supply the lubricant to the motor through pipes 2,0,

The motor-slfaft 15 extends forward beyond the hood 13 and frame 12 to receive the ICO ' ported in suitable bearings 22 on the body 1.-

.This shaft 21 extends l`centrallyA and longitu- -dinally of the body of the vehicle .to a point 'adjacent to the seat', atv which latter point there is located Aa transverse shaft 23, supported in lbearings 24, carried 'by brackets-25,

' secured'to theangle-bars forming the framey 11. This transverse shaft'23, lpreferably located under'the seat ,"'constitutes the main driving-shaft, from which the driving-wheels.

are driven. To'actuate said 'main drivingshaft. from the engine-shaft, the shaft 21 has splined-thereonva beveled friction-pinion 26.

This pinion, which isthus movable'longitudinally on the shaft 21 while rotating in unison Vwith the same, is controlled-by a hand-lever 27, pivoted under the seat, as indicated at 28.

I One end of the handlever 27 is bent downward, as indicated at 29, and has a forked extremity 30, which engages a grooved collar 31 on one end of the pinion 26'. The other end of the lever 27 is bent upward, as indicated at `32, to a form-a handle andv is pro# vided with the usual locking-segment '33 and locking mechanism 34 to secure .it in any p0- sition to whichr it may be adjusted. The shaft 23 has splined thereon two `coni-cal friction wheels or disks 35 andl 36, :connected by a sleeve 37's() as to move in unison. These friction disks or cones are thus movable longitudinally of the vmain` driving-shaft 23 while rotating in unison therewith, and their movement along said shaft is controlled byv means of'a'hand-lever 38,' provided with the usual locking-segment 39 yand locking mechanism 40 to secure itin adjusted position. To this hand-lever there is pivo'ted one. end of .alink 41, the other end of which: is'pivoted to one arm o f a bell-crank lever 42.

link 43 to a collar 44, mounted ina groove in the hub or sleeve extension 45 of the friction.' cone .or disk 36. The construction is such thatthecollar44 does not rotate with the shaft' 23 rotates in what may `be termed. a

part on which it vis mounted, but serves through rthe mechanism described to shift the friction-cones to any desired position longitudinally of the shaft 'I It will be understood that thc motor 14, as usual in vchiclesfof this type, runs continuously in the samedireetion and at about the same speed'when at'work. 'lhejdirc'ction of movement and speed ofithc vehicle are dependent upon the direction of movement and speed of Ithe'shaftl 23, froni'which the driving.-

'Wheels are driven in tliemanner hereinafterdescribed, and .the direction and speed of the shaft 23 are controlled by the frictior'i-gear-v ing just described, for it -will bc seen that when the shaft 21 vis rotating in the direction in which it is driven by the motor, which direction The other Tend of weben-Crank IGVQ is connected by va `,is-.indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, the frictlon cones ordisks 35 and 36 maj7` be shifted along the shaft 23 by means of the lever 38, so as to bring either one of said cones into contact with the pinion 26.` If the frictioncone 35' is brought into contact with the pinjnally on the shaft 21`,` soas lto bring .it into lcontact with the cone which itis driving at' different points, nearer to or farther from the axis of rotation ofthe shaft 23. It'will be at once seen that when this point of contact is farthest from said axis the' speed of the shaft 23 will be slowest, such s eed increasing as the point of .contact'is shi tednearer to said` axis byl shifting the pinionv26 rearward on its shaft. Thus the setting ofthe pinion 26 at any desired point determines vin a general way the. speed. The shifting of t-he'conesI 35 and 36 by means of the lever 38 may be utilized to stop, s tart, and reverse the direction, also in a measure controlling the speed by con-f 'trolling the extent .of thevpressure with which the cone is forced against the pinion. Any given position of the Apinion 2 6 determines a maximum speed, and practically any speed may be obtained by rvusing thelever 438 to press one. of the cones 35 or- 36 against' the pinion 26 of any desired ressure, the maximum pressure insuring t e maximum speedv for a given position ofthe pinion 26, while .less

of slip between the friction-surfaces, thereby reducing-the's'peed as desired'.

Motion is-transmitted independently to each of the driving-wheels'7 from the'shaft 23 by means of sprocket-chains 46, passing over sprocket-wheelsl 47 on thc shaft 2.3 and sprocket-wheels 48 on the driving-wheels 7; The sprocket-wheels 47 are mounted loosely on .the shaft 23 and. are connected therewith below that maximum to a complete stoppage ressure will permit a variable amount IIO by clutches 49, Aso constructed that when the u "forward direction said clutchesdrive the sprocket-wheels and cause them to rotate in f unison'with said shaft, whileat the`v same .time the driving-wheels are free to rotateindcpendeptly-of each other in a forward direc"- tion, as is .necessary inv following a .curved path, as in turning. Provision is also made fo'r locking one of these clutches to its sprocketwheel -when thc shaft 23 is rotated in thereverse direction, as in backing the vehicle, so that the sjnocket-wheel will positively rotate lvwith t-hcshaftand cause the drivingwheel to which it is connected to rotate in .the saine direction, the backing` being thus accomplished by the application of4 power to one of the driving-wheels only, leavingl the other free. Each clutch 49 comprises a pawl-bearing member 50, secured on the shaft 28, and having in its periphery recesses 51, in which are pivoted the paWls 52, which latter are preferably four in number. ThisI paNvl--bearing memberlis inclosed by a ratchet- 'bearingmember 53, having on its. internal paws 52 engage.

peri'hery ratchet-teeth 54, with which the The sprocket-Wheels 47 are-secured to or formed in, one piece with the ratchet-bearing members 53, which latterare loosely mounted upon the shaft- 23.

From an examination of Fig. of the drawings it Will be seen that the ratchet- -teeth are not spaced equidistantly `with the l pawls, but Yare so arranged that when one tooth is in full engagement with a paWl the next pawl is about one-fourth ofthe length. off-a tooth .from'engagemen the next pawl one-half of such length, and the last pawl three-fourths of such length.- It results from this constructionthat ,quick engagev ment of the.paWl-.bearirig member with thev ratchet-bearing member is obtained', since in any position ofthe parts it cannot require a movement oi more than one-fourthof the length cfa tooth to engage the clutch members. The pawls 52 are preferablyfreelyswinging pawls not provided' with springs for forcing them outward, butacting by centrifugal action, and' lthereby avoidir g the noise or clicking 'which occurs with springpressed pa'wls When the ratchet member' is running 50 l.as provided With recesses, in which pawls 52, if desired.'

ast the awl-bearing member. have, owever, s own the paWl-bearing' member 'fnaybeinserted springsfor acting upon the As already stated, provision' is madelfor locking one oi the clutches` in backing, and.v

this provision is of such afnature thatsaid locking is automatically accomplished by the shifting of the disks'or cones 35 and Bse as to bring thereversing-cone 36 into contact with the. pinion 2 6. To this'endthe 'disk V35 or'the sleevev 37 isprovided Jwith a hub or 'j extension 56, grou-ved toreceive-aiork 57 on one end oi arodf58, which' extends yparallel With the shaft 23 and is slpprted infsuitable of this'ro'd 58, ad-

guides. 5.9. The outer -en jacent to the left-handclutch 49,'is` provided vWithasimilar'fork 60, which engages' a grooved collar 61, mounted to slide lcngitu dinallyon the shaft23. vc 'ollar 6,1 ispro,

vided With anout'wardlyiprojecting' pin 462,

- which extends into an aperture 63 in the tact with the 16S paWl-bearing member 50 of the clutch. The ratchet-bearing member 53 ci' the clutch is provided With. a recess or aperture. 64, into which the end olf the pin 62 is projected when the sleeve 37 is moved upon the shaft 23 sov as to bring the reversing-coneS into conelin'ion 26. 'By reason of this t@ construction e act of shiitiirfe;the sleevel over tobring vthe reversefgearig iutomesh Serves to `lock the clutch members on the left-handside of the machine, and thereby cause the drivingwheel 7' on that side Vof the machine to be positively driven ina direction proper to cause the 'vehicle to back.

'lhe driving-Wheel sprockets 48 are -connected to the driving-Wheels by themeans shown more particularlyiin-ll`igs- 4-and6 of .the drawings. -Since these wheels .are'- the ordinary buggy or road-Wagon 'wheels Shave ing the usual Wooden hub. andlspokes'itis necessary to makesome provision whereby the sprocket-Wheels may' be firmly connected thereto, butfreadily" detached. -To this end I- employ la sprocket-Wheel having a .body v portion 65 with an annularortion, on which the separate rim 67` o the sprocketwheel is` seated, and a flange 68, to 'which said rim is secured by bolts 69. This body is t liere orev adapted to receive rims having diii'erentnumbersl-of iteeth `and permits the removal oi". the-rim inf 'case Vof breakage of the teeth and thesubstitution of another rim.

ends of whic is connected a sleeve 7,1, which iits on'fthe hub 7 2 of-the 'driving-wheel.

This sleeve ,71 ,has outwardly-extending fingers .or projections 73, which pass between the spokes 74 of the,;drivingwheel.- 75 indi- .cates a ring fitted en the body of -the hub 'Z2 outside ofthe spokes 74, said ring being provided With a flange: 76, through which. pass'. screw-bolts 77,Whichserve to connect the Lextensions oriingersTS- to the'ring75, and ythereby detachably secure 'the body ofthe sprocket-Wlieel in position on the hub.' By

The body 65 hasfextending outwardly from [the annular ortion 66 arms 70,'to the outer .90

I easoi-i of this construction the sprocket-r wheel'smay be readily'applied to and .re-

moved from the ordinary vehicle-Wheels..-

The lsteering, as already stated, is accom' plis'hed by. meansn of the front Wheels. 10-1 Which are `pivotally supported by the usual ifth-wheel construction -9 or some other similar central pivotalsupport The axle 8 has Vconnectedto itnear each en d theextremi- `ties of a curved rack-bar 78,v which extends rearward from said f axle. insubstantially semicircular forni-andv horizontally, The

'connection is preferab1y 'effected bymeans, Y.

of, U-shapedbolts or clips79 which pass upfvva'rd around the axle, through the endsof the'rack-bar, and are securedby nutsfSO.-

The raclbar-is preferably in theQrmof a cylindricaltube bent to the desired form and rvzo wheel 86 Within convenient reach of the operator when seated upon the seat "2.' 'lnelower end of-thesteeringhaft 84 is pro vided with a pinion 87, the teeth oi' which enterthe apertures 81- in the rack-bar, and thereby'V serve to so move .the same as to give the' steering-Wheels the position necessary to guide the vehicle in the vdesired direction.

It W1ll be seen that the construction' is such that the'parts required'to convert an ordi' nary road-Wagoner buggy into a motorfvehicle "can" be readily applied to such road- Wagon, thereby rendering such conversion a vreadily-effectedv one. The additional structuralelenents are comparatively simple, inexpensive, and light, and bythcir application to a road-Wagon a satisfactory motor-vehicle or automobile can b'eobtained at a relatively slight expense. The driving' niech'anism is simple, enicient, and 'capable of giving a rela-v tively .great range of finely-graduated speeds in either direction, While .the steering mech.-

anism is equally simple and eilicient.

' Ido not Wish-to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details of construction hereinbefore described, ands'ho'wn inthe accompanying drawings, as it is obviousv that these details may be varied lwithout depart-l ing from the principleof my invention'.

Having thus fully described vI ny invention, what I claim as nevv, and desire to secure by Letters Patent', isl i 1. In combination With-the body and running-gear of a road-Wagon or similar vehicle, a stren thening and supporting frame adapted tor connection to the body of the vehicle, a motor sup orted` on said frame,fa longitudinally-exten ing shaft driven by said" 'inoto r, a transverse shaft provided with clutch-connectedsprocket-wheels at its ends; rother sprocket-Wheels adapted for connec'- tion to the rearA Wheels of the runningegear,fv sprocket-,chains connecting said sprocket- Wheels, and controlling-gearing connecting saidshafts, substantially as-described.-

=2 In combination with the body'and running-gear of a. road-wagon vorsimilar vehicle,

a strengthening` and supporting frame adapted for connection tothe body ot the vehicle,

a motor `supported on said lframe, a longitu'.

dinally-extendin shaftdriven by said motor, `a transverse sha t provided with 'clutch-connected sprocket-wheels at its' ends, other sprocket-Wheels adapted for connectionl to the rear Wheels of the running-gear, sprocketchains connecting said sprocKet-Wheels, and controlling-gearing connecting said shafts, said controlllng-gearing comprising' a riction-pinion rotating with and movable length- Wise of the longitudinalshaft, two'opp'ostelyarranged friction-disks "rotating with and chains connecting said sprocket-wheels, con-i trolling-gearing connecting saidjshafts, and

Asteering' mechanism fcornprisir'igfiA a curved rack adapted for attachment t'o` the front axle, and a steering-shatt provided' with a pinion to mesh fwith said rack, substantially as described.`

4. In a vehicle of the character-described,

the combination, With the box-body, of' a strengthening and supporting frame consist ing of anangIe-bar bent to form parallel portions iitting and secured to the lower side edges of the body and having an extension projecting in front of said body to form a support for the motor said extension being in a plane lower than the main ortionpfsaid supporting-frame, substantia y asdes'cribed,

5 In a'vehicle of the.characte'describeth the combination, with the boX'o'dy; ,t a

strenofthenin and supporting frame consi-stling o? an ang elbar' bent to form parallel portions tting and secured to the lower side edges of the body and having an extension projecting in front of said bodyl and bent downwardly and then outwardly to forni a support for the motor, saidforwardly-cxtending ortion being depressed', substantially asescribed.`

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VVitnesses: Y

- E. 0. HAGAN. Y IRVINE MILLER.

EDWARD TEMPALEQ 

